Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to have several important physiological functions, including its unique vasodilating properties, cancer-fighting potency, anti-platelet activity and antimicrobial/antiviral effects. Although NO is a stable radical, it may be highly reactive with hemoglobin and oxygen, thus making delivery of NO to the target site challenging. Stable hydrophilic, as well as hydrophobic NO donors may be best to take advantage of the potency of NO for a wide range of biomedical applications. These include NO-releasing pharmaceuticals and the preparation of thromboresistive hydrophobic polymeric coatings for medical devices such as intravascular catheters and extracorporeal circuits (based on NO's antiplatelet activity). However, despite the benefits of NO, the use of NO donors in polymeric systems has been relatively limited for various reasons.